Moldova’s concern after statements in Moscow

Concerns are growing in Moldova after comments by a Russian commander about Moscow’s ambitions in Ukraine. In Chisinau, the Russian ambassador now has to explain himself. There are reports from Mariupol about a new mass grave.

Suggestions by a senior Russian military commander that Russian troops are planning to advance to Ukraine’s south-western border have prompted the Moldovan government to take action. As a first reaction, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chisinau summoned the Russian ambassador. The Foreign Ministry said on its website that it wanted to express its “deep concern” about the statements made by Rustam Minnekayev.

Minnekayev was quoted by Russian state news outlets as saying complete control of southern Ukraine would give him access to Transnistria, a breakaway Russian-held part of Moldova to the west. That would cut off all of Ukraine’s coastline and result in Russian forces pushing hundreds of kilometers further west, past the major Ukrainian coastal cities of Mykolaiv and Odessa.

The statement was one of the most detailed on Moscow’s ambitions in Ukraine and indicates that Russia has no plans to end its offensive there any time soon. Minnekayev had also said in the Russian media that the Russian-speaking population was being oppressed in Moldova – an argument that the Kremlin also used to justify the invasion of Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry in Chisinau said that Minnekayev’s statements were unfounded. “Moldova is a neutral state and this principle must be respected by all international actors, including the Russian Federation.”

“Who will be next?”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is only the beginning and that Moscow has plans to conquer other countries. “All nations who, like us, believe in the victory of life over death must fight with us. They must help us because we are first in line. And who will be next?” Zelenskyy said in a video speech late Friday.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Minnekayev’s comments show that Russia is no longer hiding its intentions. Moscow, it said on Twitter, has now “acknowledged that the goal of the ‘second phase’ of the war is not victory over the mythical Nazis, but simply the occupation of eastern and southern Ukraine.”

Russia calls the invasion of Ukraine a “special military operation” aimed at demilitarizing the country and ridding the population of dangerous nationalists. Ukraine and its western allies speak of an unjustified war of aggression.

Attacks in the Donbass

According to Ukrainian sources, Russian troops are continuing their attacks in the Donbass region unabated. “In the direction of Donetsk, the enemy is carrying out offensive actions along the entire front line,” the Ukrainian general staff said in its situation report in the morning. The strongest Russian attacks are aimed at the city of Sievjerodonetsk in the Luhansk region. In addition, the General Staff reports on ongoing assault attempts in Rubischne, Popasna and Marjinka. The attacks were repelled. To the north, near the town of Izyum in the Kharkov region, Russian troops attempted to advance further south in order to encircle the Ukrainian troops.

According to Ukrainian information, the Russian 64th Motorized Rifle Brigade, which was deployed in the Kiev suburb of Bucha, was also involved in the attacks. Images of hundreds of civilians killed there had caused horror around the world. Kyiv had therefore accused the Russian soldiers of war crimes, while Moscow denied having anything to do with the atrocities. Russian President Vladimir Putin honored the brigade.

The Russians are also increasing the pressure on the southern sections of the front. While there are no changes in the situation in Mariupol, the Russian troops in the Zaporizhia region are said to have been reinforced by fighters from the Wagner mercenary unit. Kyiv speaks of around 200 Wagner fighters. The reports could not be independently verified.

Another mass grave may have been discovered

The situation in the port city of Mariupol, which was occupied by Russian troops and largely destroyed, remains critical. A new evacuation attempt is scheduled to begin later today. The city council said the buses to the Ukraine-controlled city of Zaporizhia are intended for women, children and the elderly. In the past few days there have been repeated attempts to evacuate civilians from the city. However, these efforts failed several times. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the failure.

Not far from Mariupol, satellite images indicate another possible mass grave. “This time in the left-bank district near the Vynohradne cemetery,” city council deputy Petro Andryushchenko told the Telegram news service. The occupying forces would try to cover up war crimes.

The images distributed by the US satellite photo service Maxar from March 22 to April 15 are said to show a cemetery near Wynohradne before, during and after an expansion of the graves. Wynohradne is located on the eastern edge of the port city on the Azov Sea.

The day before, Ukrainian officials, based on satellite images, had already suspected a possible mass grave in Manhush about 15 kilometers west of the city outskirts. The information cannot be independently verified.

Municipality: At least 20,000 residents killed

Shortly after the complete encirclement of Mariupol by Russian troops in early March, several photos of dead people in mass graves, presumably from Mariupol, appeared. Representatives of the Ukrainian city administration assume that at least 20,000 residents have been killed as a result of the heavy fighting and bombing.

Before the start of the Russian war of aggression almost two months ago, the city had around 440,000 inhabitants. Now more than 100,000 are said to be staying in the largely destroyed city. Russia has declared Mariupol completely conquered despite Ukrainian resistance to the Azovstal steelworks.